Threatened Birds of the World

Abstract

This magnificent volume begins with the words "Extinction is final." In one of six forewords, Stephen Garnett comments that "Oceania is well used to extinction" with nearly half of all known bird extinctions since 1500 occurring in the region. Russ Mittermier informs us that the world stands at the opening of one of the great extinction events in planetary history. Not all is despair. James Clements tells us that there are "refreshing rays of light" and cites the reservation of 13 million hectares of rainforest as protected areas. He quotes Peru's Minister of Foreign Relations as saying that "one of the marks of civilization is the regard men bestow on wild things". What then is the state of the world's avifauna: no more authoritative account is available than Threatened Birds of the World.